Is it okay to buy Ball Pythons from Petsmart/Petco?

The short answer is a very simple "I wouldn't".

You can very easily find a reputable breeder and have the animal shipped for about the same money and often less than buying from the big box stores.

The big box stores are often overpriced in the first place. Combine that with a MUCH higher risk of mites, etc...and a vet bill and you're already in for more than you would have paid for a quality, healthy animal from a reputable breeder.

I, myself have actually spoken with management on many occasions at my local big box stores as well as called corporate on two occasions. Not worth buying an animal from there.

Somebody above mentioned that buying from there is basically getting a "rescue" animal, which in some ways is accurate, but consider this: a rescued animal is taken out of a bad situation where proper health, husbandry, etc... are not provided. Buying from the big box stores may take one animal out of one enclosure, but only at a HUGE profit for the store and that enclosure will be filled within days with another mistreated animal.
Check out Aerries post above, that should answer your question....

Anyway, morphmarket is probably your best bet. There are also some great breeders right here on this forum. Maybe start a new thread saying you're looking for a certain morph and ask if anybody has what you're looking for.

Went to Petco for some animal supplies and just happen to check in the snakes....
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?sha...7&share_type=t

That’s what myself and a couple of people in this group are battling right now


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I only would if the store had healthy, mite-free, properly-kept snakes. I have yet to find such a store.

Buying online eliminates having to go a long distance for a pet snake!

Also, you can choose what kind of ball python you want if you buy online.

Like, take the banana morph: https://www.morphmarket.com/us/c/rep...page=1&sort=le
I've seen this morph being sold for around $200 at PetCo, but on MorphMarket you can see that a regular banana morph shouldn't be that much.

Also, if you're not worried about the morph, some people have normal ball pythons posted for $20 or less--a much better deal than what PetCo wants you to pay so they can continue mistreating their animals.

Have you checked Craigslist or even now Facebook? I got my big beautiful boy Pua from Craigslist lol. His original owner didn’t want him anymore and was unable/Unwilling to give home the care he needed, so he surrendered him to me! He himself got Pua from a reptile Expo. There’s a local breeder here in the Iowa City area who only posts on Craigslist. I don’t know where you live of course, but if anything just get it shipped to you. It’ll take at most 3-5 days and you’ll Snake will be fine. $150 dollars at Petco might get you a sick, basic morph snake whereas anywhere else online $150 would get you a possibly nicer morph plus shipping. Not to say all morphs aren’t beautiful or rare, but a Spider shouldn’t cost as much as a Bumblebee or an Albino. I payed $100 for my Bumblebee girl at a reptile Expo. Just see what’s in your price range, and order online or see what Snakes are available locally. Stay away from Petsmart


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Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

Its a purchase not a rescue........ AND you are just making room for the next animal.

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Arguably semantics, but the sentiment is the same. I've seen some really rough snakes at petco specifically and contacted higher management and saw some minor changes temporarily..Part of me wants to save individuals regardless of whether they will just replace it. Like, they'll replace it a week after it dies too. So we as snake caretakers have the option to rescue snakes in that position. We have to pay, so it is ALSO a purchase, but what is your point exactly? Not recommended for a first snake I agree with, overpriced and supporting people who don't deserve reptiles I also agree with, so what are you arguing?

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Originally Posted by Nathanhimmerich

We have to pay, so it is ALSO a purchase, but what is your point exactly? Not recommended for a first snake I agree with, overpriced and supporting people who don't deserve reptiles I also agree with, so what are you arguing?

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It's just that the difference between a rescue and a purchase is that you're financially supporting a company that is using your money to harm more animals.

In a rescue, it's (hopefully) a case in which you're preventing animals from being in bad situations. You are arguably not doing so when purchasing from a supplier that relies on the cycle of Cheap Husbandry + Bad Care = More Profit.

Which, you know. PetCo and PetSmart are going to have thousands of animals suffering in their care anyway, regardless of whether or not their mistreated and neglected pets are being bought and producing money for them.

So, big picture wise, I guess you're right and it doesn't matter. It's gonna happen anyway.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nathanhimmerich

Arguably semantics, but the sentiment is the same. I've seen some really rough snakes at petco specifically and contacted higher management and saw some minor changes temporarily..Part of me wants to save individuals regardless of whether they will just replace it. Like, they'll replace it a week after it dies too. So we as snake caretakers have the option to rescue snakes in that position. We have to pay, so it is ALSO a purchase, but what is your point exactly? Not recommended for a first snake I agree with, overpriced and supporting people who don't deserve reptiles I also agree with, so what are you arguing?

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I don't agree with "rescues" like that, sure you save one snake and that's great. But like you said, that supports their poor practices. That just sends another animal to it's death. And that isn't how you should rescue animals.

Here is the problem about petco and petsmart. They are no longer the stores they were in the 80s and 90s. They are corporate chains that only want to make profits. Animal sales are a minute amount of their profits directly but a huge amount in supplementary items such as cages, decor, etc. If you buy from them you are perpetuating their neglect as a company wide chain toward reptiles specifically. It does not matter if you find the unicorn store that treats their animals well, they are not a mom and pop shop, they are nationwide chains. When you buy an animal from any of their stores it proves to them that continuing the poor care and consideration they have for these animals over making money is profitable.

If you want to help end this problem, make sure to never buy a live animal from these chains and let everyone you know that they need to avoid doing so as well. This is the only way we can send a message to these stores to stop selling live animals.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Nathanhimmerich

Part of me wants to save individuals regardless of whether they will just replace it. Like, they'll replace it a week after it dies too. So we as snake caretakers have the option to rescue snakes in that position. We have to pay, so it is ALSO a purchase, but what is your point exactly?

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Businesses don't like to lose money. If no one purchases snakes that are sick, mite-ridden, and kept incorrectly so that the stores continually lose money on them, they have incentive to change. If well-meaning but soft-hearted people purchase those animals because they think they are saving them, then there is no incentive to change and plenty of incentive for the store to make things worse for the animals so that customers continue to feel sorry for them and buy them.

It's also rather insulting to small/private breeders if buyers are willing to plunk down $50-80 for a sick, mite-ridden, dehydrated, non-feeding normal BP hatchling from such a store, but they won't consider getting a healthy well-started one from the private breeder for half the price, because the overpriced sick one needs to be "saved".